Rain, volcanic eruptions and Middle East tensions impact travel plans

Historic rainfall in Dubai, a volcano eruption in Indonesia and increasing tensions in the Middle East have put international airlines on edge.

Rain, volcanic eruptions and Middle East tensions impact travel plans. Picture: Saeed Khan/AFP

Australian travellers transiting through Dubai have been met with cancellations and delays after the United Arab Emirates was hit with its worst rain in more than 75 years.

More than 120 flights have been cancelled as well as a further 150 departing Dubai Airport – a key transit link for the international flight network – in the past 72 hours after the desert city received over a year’s worth of rain in little more than 24 hours.

As many as eight flights between Dubai and Perth, Adelaide Brisbane and Sydney were cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Australian Travel industry Association, which was assured all passengers would be rebooked or refunded.

A plane takes off from the flooded Dubai International Airport.

A spokeswoman for Emirates said that despite delays, none was impacted.

Australian Airports Association CEO James Goddard said nine flights operate between Australia and the UAE each day, noting the airport’s flood recovery will likely move quickly.

“It can look quite dramatic for a period (but) airports are designed to get water out quickly,” he said. “It may just slow down the network for a while.”

Airlines internationally have been forced to react swiftly to weather and geopolitical conditions over the past week.

No Australian carrier has been forced to reroute or halt flights to Bali due to volcanic eruptions on the northern side of Sulawesi island, northwest of Bali. While airlines were ready to change flight paths if necessary, only some intra-Asia flights were impacted by volcanic ash clouds.

Passengers have been warned to prepare for sudden changes to travel plans if tensions in the Middle East flare up in the coming days, following Iran’s weekend attack on Israel. The drone-and-missile blitz led to neighbouring Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon closing their skies to passenger flights.

Ash and sulfur dioxide blasts from the Ruang volcano following its explosive eruption earlier today, climbing thousands of feet into the atmosphere. pic.twitter.com/cYxPkqAPqB

— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) April 17, 2024

Qantas last weekend announced it was temporarily rerouting its direct Perth-to-London flight via Singapore for the foreseeable future. The change will see QF9 operated as QF209 due to the adjusted flight path, but the return leg from London to Perth (Q10) will operate as normal. Dutch airline KLM said it would no longer fly over Israel or Iran, while British Airways and Lufthansa are understood to be avoiding the area.

Mr Goddard was not aware of other flights to or from Australia being impacted, noting airlines will likely continue to make decisions on an “ad hoc” basis.

But Flight Centre CEO Graham Turner said travellers could rest assured airlines prioritise safety. “They have to be cautious, and people expect them to be. Safety is a really important part of any airline, they can’t afford not to be totally safe.”